#joyce (sunflower)

[jollyinha]

I have brought... My YuuriVoice listeners.

...On The Sims, because I can't draw for shit. I spent pretty much the whole day redesigning (except Rookie, who already got a glow up bc he's my favorite child) and dressing them up like Barbie dolls lol

DISCLAIMER: I'm being a lil' poser because I have never watched Bittersweet nor the Faust audios (and yet I still have Sugarboo and Star done, go figure), and am catching up on Lost and Found as I type this. ANYWAY HERE ARE MY BABIES, MORE INFO ON THEM UNDER THE CUT YIPPEEEEEEEE

FÉLIX/ROOKIE:

- As previously mentioned, he's my favorite child, sorry not sorry, I adore this boy so much

- Dumb of ass and home of sexual (out of the closet to everyone except his mom, oof), pulled a millionaire CEO with his ADHD swag. Also canonically a cheeky horny bastard

- An artist (draws/paints and crafts all sorts of stuff) at heart, but had to pursue a more lucrative career in order to support his family. So, Law school it is. Viva le capitalism

- Is an ENFP and his birthday is on February 16th

- His mother is Brazilian and his dad was Colombian. They have been living in the USA since Félix was a young child. He also has a little sister (not so little, she's in college by the time Shattered begins) whom he loves very much and basically raised her, to the point where she sees him as his dad more than their actual dad (whom passed away when she was a toddler)

- Has an excellent relationship with his uncle (and his wife), aunt and cousins. Him and Joy/Sunflower don't meet that often bc she lives a bit far away, but when they do, they share the same braincell

- Appears to be suave and chill when he's at work, but he's actually a SOFTIE. The biggest golden retriever... Well, not literally the biggest. He's 5'7ft/1m69cm. Compared to Auron, he's pocket-sized. But anyway-

- He loves Trish. They bully Auron together. Incredible dynamic

- Has pyrophobia bc ✨ PAST TRAUMA ✨. Began cooking as a hobby to try to work through it

- Likes: Arts, cooking, biking, peacocks, sun imageries (long story), sea monsters and plaid jackets

- Félix has SO MUCH LORE and tidbits (like his tattoos!) about him, I would need an entire separate post to tell it all. And I might do it bc I need that sweet infodump dopamine...

JOYCE "JOY"/SUNFLOWER

- Actually my first YV OC! I met the channel through the infamous Finn compilation

- Bisexual! Finn is her first serious boyfriend, though, up until she met him, she only had girlfriends... And she had the worst luck with all of them. Oof

- Colombian, just like Félix

- Huge animal lover, especially the aquatic critters and reptiles. Has a Bull Terrier named Cow (yes, that's her name.) that has her entire heart. Currently trying to get a job in the veterinarian field! Just... Don't put bugs near her. Please

- Is an ESFP and her birthday is on July 27th... The day the Finn compilation premiered

- Her mother had her pretty young. She doesn't know who her father is, and her mom refuses to talk about it... But tbh, Joy doesn't care that much. She loves her mama, and that's all that matters

- (also her mother loves Finn dearly. everytime they meet, he leaves with a piece of cake or some other home made food bc she loves to spoil her "son-in-law" lmao)

- Surfs on her spare time! Queen shit! Also plays a bit of soccer

- Had pretty severe acne as a teen and still has its marks

- Golden retriever energy runs in the Torres family, because she has it too

- Likes: Snakes, whales, surfing, soccer (as stressful as it is to watch it lol), jogging, her dog Cow, hoodies, fun scrunchies

CARINA/SUGARBOO

- Like I previously stated, I haven't watched Bittersweet, so, I may not have much to say about Sugarboo except for the (few) misc audios from Al and Seth I have heard... BUT GODDAMNIT SHE'S SO BEAUTIFUL OH GOD

- Straight, but poly

- Japanese, but was born and raised in the USA and, sadly, doesn't has much connection to her roots... Mostly bc she's not super close to her family :(

- (Canonically) Likes to bake! Also cooking, but still has a preference for pastries. Works in a bakery... Which isn't a very healthy workplace, but, oh well

- Is an ESFJ, and her birthday is on January 20th (it's coming!!!!! happy early birthday, queen!!!!!)

- Pulled TWO bitches by having ADHD

- Has A SHIT LOAD of tattoos because she's best friends with a tattoo artist... Who may or may not be Star 👀

- Used to have long hair when she met Alphonse

- She may be Al's impulse control, but Seth is her impulse control 💀

- Calls Alphonse "bug". Earlier on their relationship it was ironically ("so you and me together can be bugaboo!"), but the pet name has stuck

- But in reality, she does have a passion for bugs! Especially butterflies and moths ("NOT Mothman, Seth. Normal, regular moths.")

- Also love cats

- She bullies Seth for believing in cryptids... But believes in aliens

- Again, I haven't watched Bittersweet, so feel free to discard this part if it's contradicting canon events, but... She kind of likes Charlie. She thinks he's cute, even with all the shit that happened

- Likes: Baking, collecting jewelry like some kind of dragon, bugs, cats, tattoos, aliens

ASHER/CASPER

- The coolest mf to ever walk on this earth. I don't make the rules, it's the truth

- FtM trans of gender, also home of sexual

- Just american. F

- Yes, his last name is a Life Is Strange reference, sue me

- I... I have no idea what he works with? Because gotta wait for more Charlie videos to find out wtf canon!Casper is up to he's such a mysterious guy,,,,,

- (I really hope that the "Casper works for Auron" theory is true tho, the Auron/Félix & Charlie/Asher shenanigans would be so funny to imagine)

- What I do know is that he's kind of a gym bro, except if said bro was fruity

- Seriously though, he's a sporty guy. Likes to go jogging, (he and Joy/Sunflower would be good workout buddies!), climbing, hiking, good ol' fashioned working out and, of course, skating! But after Charlie left, he got into roller skating as well, and he's pretty damn good at it

- He's an ISFP, and his birthday is on April 22nd (Earth Day, get it, bc his favorite color is green,,,,,,)

- Disowned by his parents, but was taken in by his uncle and aunt, whom really support him <3

- Has a tooth gap! Cute shit

- Braided his hair as a kid, still does it nowadays. Certain things never change

- He WANTS to get SO MANY TATTOOS AND PIERCINGS... But he has a pretty bad case of trypanophobia (his ears are pierced bc his parents had him pierce it as a baby). Having his top surgery was challenging enough! He just wanted to get some tattoos... :(

- Always carries an extra hair tie on his arm, like a bracelet. Mostly for himself, but sometimes he gives it to Charlie too

- Has dyslexia! Fucking hated school bc of that

- Likes: Skating, roller skating, climbing, collecting sick ass knives, bad horror movies, hair styling (he wanted to be a hairstylist as a kid even!)

- I don't have thaaaaat much to say about him as of right now since I'm still finishing Lost and Found, but he's growing a lot on me, I love him

PAIGE/ANGEL

- URGH I LOVE HER SO MUCH AAAAAAAAAA ULTIMATE SASS AND NIHILISM

- Their relationship with gender is... Confusing. Doesn't like any labels, really. Just go with she/them and you'll be fine. Considers themselves to be pansexual, though

- British ("sadly, stupid ass country"), still has a strong accent even if they have been living in the USA for quite a while

- ...They like tea though

- She works on the IT department of a big company. Boring office job. But she doesn't mind it that much. Everyone is nice enough and it pays the bills. That's more than enough for her

- But besides programming and gaming, her big passion in life is... Sewing! 80% of the plushies in her collection are handmade, including Sir Gengar himself

- Also a huge cinephile

- Is an INTP, and their birthday is on September 4th (it may or may not be a reference to Gengar's pokedex number)

- Pulled a LITERAL DEMON FROM HELL with her autism swag

- Has chronic pain on her left knee due to a past accident

- Obviously, huge Pokémon fan

- Ironically enough, doesn't really like cooking, which explains why their house didn't had shit when it comes to ingredients lol At least now they have a demon boy to cook for them

- Awful relationship with her family. All of it. Ran away for the USA to escape from them

- Doesn't have many friends irl, most of them are virtual friends

- Considers themselves to be "plain and boring". Normally they don't give a damn about it, but got kind of insecure when they and Lucien got officially together... But in their most confident days, they think it's hilarious how the most normal-looking human ever managed to pull a demon

- Deep, deep down, Paige is a sweet and caring person. Heck, that's why her soul was so enticing. She just has trouble demonstrating it (Autistic Struggle™)

- Likes four leaf clovers. No idea why. She just does

- ...I feel like she would watch Faust's streams ironically. She thinks the cat boy is hilarious

- Likes: Cinema, games, programming, plushies making, clovers, tea

ENID/STAR

- ...I haven't watched a single Faust audio in my life, but Enid just... Popped up in my head. Their design came to me and they were yelling at me to bring them to existence. So here they are?????? I really gotta hear the twink's audios any of these days...

- I don't even know much about them tbh lol But here's what I do have:

- Non-binary (AFAB), bisexual

- A tattoo artist! They're Sugarboo's friend that I mentioned all the way up there

- Likes to write and read in their spare time (IMAGINE THEM AND AURON WRITING FANFICTION ABOUT THEIR S/Os! Beautiful)

- Likes to watch sports (don't look like the type, do they?)

- Likes questionable shirts with 80s/90s aesthetics

- I can see them being friends with Paige/Angel, ngl :D

- ...That's all about Enid for now, maybe I'll develop them if I get around to hear more of Faust eventually lol

Idk if there's someone reading all of this, but if there is, tysm for reading this HUGE infodump 🥺 If you have any YV OCs, I would LOVE to hear about them too! My DMs are open!

[strange-anni]

I do think you are completely spot on with the reference to the atomic bomb which destroyed Hiroshima.

There is just another incident I can't help but think about when it comes to nuclear fission and which matches the ST timeline almost perfectly.

In December 1983 the 4th reactor of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine went online.

On the 26 of April 1986 it exploded, destroying the whole reactor building and resulting in a massive radioactive cloud which spread containment across the UDSSR and Europe.

After another 36 hours everyone within a 10 kilometer radius (6.2 miles) of the Plant was to be evacuated. This resulted in the entire population of Pripyat which at the time was nearly 50.000 people needing to leave their homes and never being able to come back.

Pripyat was first founded in 1970 as a town to support the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant and then later in 1979 was declared an official city.

After the incident in 1986 Pripyat became a ghost town and it's still noticeable to this day. Although by now it is possible to (sometimes) visit the city, it's obvious how it is still stuck in time despite nature and decay taking it's course. You can still see books, pictures, TVs, children's toys and newspapers from the 80s being there.

Source and Source

Pictures of Pripyat

On the other side I think it also of note who after all this nuclear waste found it's way into the water and soil surrounding the area people found a way to reduce the toxicity immensely.

It's called Phytoremediation and what it essentially does is detoxify the soil without causing additional pollution. Certain plants can pull all the waste and heavy metals from the soil and water into their bodies and store them there.

One such plant is the sunflower! It's been heavily used in the areas surrounding Chernobyl after the explosion as well as Fukushima after the nuclear incident in 2011.

Another such plant is industrial hemp. Yes, this is a Cannabis plant although they are closely related it is not the one used for smoking as the THC it has is way smaller. It's been used around Chernobyl but not Fukushima due to strict drug regulations in Japan.

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4

Will Byers, the Atomic Bomb

So I've already talked about this in my Enola Gay post. But now I have more evidence and thoughts.

Basically my post was about how the writers are comparing Will to the atomic bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima. The bomb was called "Little Boy" and was carried on an aircraft called "Enola Gay". Enola Gay is the name of the mother of the pilot, she was "pregnant with an explosive device". After the bomb dropped, time pieces were frozen and essentially stuck in time at exactly: 8:15. “Enola Gay” was also a 80s song about the atomic bomb that was considered a gay anthem.

The mention of a "shed" during the “fancy bomb” scene is very specific and intentional. The shed was where Will was last seen before he vanished...

Was Will a ticking time bomb that eventually dropped on Nov 6, 1983… forever changing Hawkins?

If we are talking about chronological history too, it works well because the atomic bombs were what ended WWII, which was followed by the Cold War. I talk about the Cold War and theorize on historical references in ST5 in this post.

[thefatedthoughtofyou]

Eddie's Too Late ... ?

It's about pining Eddie!! And he wants so badly to ask out Steve. Robin even might have given him an encouraging little talk about it. And he finally works up the courage to do so, and comes to family video, and he brings fucking flowers with him cuz he's a goddamn sap.

But he walks in , already smiling at Steve like always, but he's talking to some guy at the counter. Some punk lookin dude. And Eddie freezes in the door, hears the guy flirting and hears Steve laugh, flustered. And then the guy literally asks him out, and writes his number on Steve's hand when he shrugs and nods, and goes bright red.

And Eddie just, god he wants to cry. So he turns, walks back out and leaves, his chest fucking aching. Cuz he was a fucking idiot who waited too goddamn long.

And Steve hears the door clink shut, sees Eddie's back as he's leaving, sees him toss something in the trash outside. And he waits for punk guy, Jake, to leave. He's a regular. He's nice. If a little pushy for Steve's liking.

He told Steve he'd pick him up on friday. Didn't ask. And Steve had been so flustered when the guy grabbed his hand he just sort of... agreed.... maybe hoping he would leave faster.

So he waits for him to leave and then runs outside, digs in the trash and finds the flowers. And they're all yellow flowers, sunflowers mixed with daisies, and Steve even sees a couple dandelions stuck in, his eyes crinkling in a smile cuz he and Eddie had gotten into a huge fight with Robin and Nancy about whether they were weeds or flowers,  Eddie and Steve on the side of flowers, of course.

And his heart flutters cuz Eddie had told him about a month ago, when he handed him this weird little yellow figurine, and Steve had asked why he was always giving him yellow stuff. Eddie had shrugged and said,

"it just reminds me of you I guess." Steve had immediately reconsidered his favorite color choice.

But Steve's heart drops because... Eddie had thrown this away... in the trash... right after he'd seen Steve with Jake. Steve feels like he's gonna puke, but he takes the flowers inside, sits them in the breakroom until its time for him to leave.

He calls Jake right before close. Wanted to wait til he was hopefully at home. Tells him he can't go out with him. Not friday. Or any other day. That he has someone.. hopefully. Jake sounds disappointed but doesn't push, thankfully. Steve grabs the flowers on his way out and drives to Eddie's.

He stops by Melvald's on the way, asks Joyce for help. They have some flowers, but nothing that says "Eddie." Joyce grabs a simple red rose and then a box of chocolate covered cherries. Steve's brow furrows and she just smiles at him and says,

"I've seen that boy buy six boxes of these at once. His sweet tooth is... a little bit alarming... actually. But it'll get the job done." She winks at him and Steve's never felt more greatful that Joyce pays attention to people, and works at the store, and is nosy like he is. He hugs her, grabs the rose and the chocolates, and runs to his car.

Eddie isn't home when he gets there. His van is there. But he's not at the trailer and Steve feels like he's gonna cry, his chest tight as Wayne tells him he left a few hours ago. Steve nods, his brow furrowing and he's about to leave when Wayne's hand on his shoulder stops him.

"Ya know the creek over off McAlpine street?" He asks, Steve nods, confused.

"He was headed that way. Likes to go there to be alone." Wayne gives him this soft encouraging smile, pats him on the back, and watches as Steve runs to his car.

He parks on the side of the road, as close to the creek as he can get. And then he runs.

He finds the creek but no Eddie at first, so he starts walking along the creekside, he rounds a bend and finally sees him.

He's crouched on the creek side, toes of his shoes just barley out of reach of the water. He's holding a stick, Steve squints and sees a small turtle walking across it, toward a big rock in the middle of the water. Eddie's crying. Silently. Tears slowly falling.

He wipes at his face every now and then with his free hand, eyes on the turtle. He smiles softly when the little thing reaches the rock. Steve smiles too. His heart thumping as he watches Eddie help this tiny creature. He takes a few more steps and then clears his throat when Eddie doesn't hear him. Eddie scrambles to his feet, startled, holding the stick out in front of him like a weapon, wiping at his face with the crook of his elbow.

"What are you doing here?" And it makes Steve shiver, so reminiscent of the boat house, when they'd found him terrified. Steve would have held his hands up in surrender, but they were a little full. Eddie’s yellow bundle of flowers on one, the rose and candy in the other.

"I found your flowers." He says, holding them up a bit and then letting them swing back by his side. Eddie doesn't say anything. Just looks away. Moves back to the edge of the creek, crouches back down, hugs his knees to his chest. Steve sighs, moves closer.

"I'm not going out with Jake." Steve says, because he needs Eddie to know. Needs him to stop hurting as soon as possible. Eddie sniffles, doesn't look at him.

"Jake." Is all he says. And Steve laughs at how he says it, he sounds so annoyed. Steve bumps his shoulder, Eddie scowls, bumps him back, harder.

"But you wanted too. You said yes." Eddie picks up another stick, pokes it into the mud.

"I only said yes cuz it took me by suprise, and he grabbed my hand and I got flustered. I didn't- he's not really my type." Steve says, leaning against Eddie as he sits, the ground is cold, and he can feel the damp soaking into his jeans a bit. Eddie glances at him. And s

Steve can see his guard coming down, just a bit.

"Oh yeah. Why not?" Eddie asks, and steve smiles. Crinkles his nose.

"Me? Dating a punk? Come on. Not a chance." Steve teases, bites his lip.

"Especially since there's this metal head that's kinda got me in a choke hold." Steve sighs, looks at Eddie. He finally turns to look at Steve, blinking slowly.

"Really?" Eddie asks, his fingers tugging at the hole in the knee of his jeans. Steve nods.

"Really. Can't seem to get him outta my head." Steve smiles, holds the rose and candy out to Eddie, Eddie just stares again. Steve wiggles the box of chocolates.

"C'mon. I know you like 'em. Joyce gave you up." Steve wiggles the box more aggressively and Eddie snatches it, then gently takes the rose, he sets the chocolates in his lap, whispering a quiet "traitor" that makes Steve smile.

"Thank you for the flowers. I love... them." Steve stumbles over that bit. Swallowing hard when Eddie’s eyes snap to him.

"You're welcome." Eddie shurgs.

"Just thought you might like some flowers. You seem like a flowers type of guy." Steve smiles, rests his head on Eddie's shoulder.

"The dandelions are my favorite." He whispers, moves and presses a kiss to Eddie's shoulder, and hears Eddie's breathing falter.

"I um... I love... my flower, too..... so thanks." He stumbles over the words the way Steve did, but on purpose, leaning away from Steve so he can look at him, a sly little smile on his face. But Steve's face is somber, his hands twitch in his lap.

"It's- I mean you don't have to sa-"

"I love you." Eddie cuts him off. Says it bluntly. And it makes Steve's chest hurt. He shakes his head, brow furrowed.

"I do though. I have for awhile. I'm just an idiot with terrible timing." Eddie bumps their shoulders, leans heavily into Steve. Steve takes a deep, shaky breath.

"I don't want you to say it just because you think I want to hear it." Steve says, his teeth worrying into his lip.

"That's not why I said it."

Steve looks at him.

"No? You didn't say it to me cuz I just like... really obviously almost said it to you?" He looks back into his lap, frowning.

"No. Although that was adorable." Eddie smiles, it makes Steve want to smile too.

"Hey." Eddie voice is soft, he reaches out, cups Steve's cheek and makes him look at him.

"Have you ever known me to say something just cuz it's something someone wants to hear?" He asks, Steve scoffs, shakes his head, looking shy.

"Okay then. I didn't say it because of that. I said it," he takes a deep breath, lets it out, drops his hands back into his lap.

"Because I saw you with that guy today-"

"Jake." Steve interrupts, smirk on his lips. Eddie pauses.

"Don't push it Harrington. I'm trying to be... serious... or something." His brow furrows, Steve reaches out, his face softening.

"Sorry. Go ahead."

Eddie huffs.

"I saw you with Jake, and it hurt. Like a lot. And I thought I lost you, ya know? Just cuz I was too fuckin scared to tell you how I feel. Cuz I love you. Cuz your GOOD. and I thought I lost it. And then you walked up looking all sad and apologetic and you didn't even DO anything." Eddie huffs again, his hands flailing.

"I hurt you." Steve mutters, Eddie makes a sound in his throat.

"Not on purpose! You didn't know! Cuz I didn't say! Jesus. All I do is talk, all of the fucking time, but I couldn't say the most important thing. And then Jake was writing his fucking number on your hand it was too late." Eddie shakes head, sighs deeply, and then turns to Steve with a smile that looks like it's half a grimace of pain. Steve nods.

"But here I am."

Eddie bites his lip, nods back.

"Here you are." Eddie says.

"Not with Jake." Steve says. Eddie rolls his eyes. Steve snorts.

"Can we never say that name again. I already hate it." Eddie grumbles.

"Fine with me. He is a regular though." Steve says, shrugs, pulls some grass out of the ground and drops it on Eddie's thigh. Eddie watches him move it around with his finger, pushing it into a pile on his leg.

"I'll burn his house down." Eddie whispers, still watching Steve. Steve barks a laugh and brushes the grass off Eddie's leg.

"Very dramatic." He says, fondly.

"Too strong? I could just steal his VCR. Don't need to rent movies if you don't have a VCR." Eddie says, his fingers moving to settling on Steve's wrist. Steve chuckles again, shakes his head, then stares at Eddie.

"I honestly can't tell if you're joking, so please don't steal anything from him." Steve moves his hand, turns it and slides it up into Eddie's, their fingers wrapping around each other, Eddie makes a weird little face, holds their hands up into Steve sightline, and then he's smiling.

"Looks like I already did." He shrugs, and Steve is about to laugh again, or roll his eyes, when Eddie presses a kiss to the back of his hand. It sort of takes Steve's breath away.

"I said I love you because that's how I feel. Okay? You believe me?" Eddie asks, his brow furrowed as he stares at Steve. And Steve remembers telling him about what happened with Nancy,  remembers how Eddie had hugged him. Wonders if he loved him them. Or before that? Or after.  But it doesn't really matter, because he loves him now. And Steve watches Eddie's thumb move soothingly over his hand, and knows Eddie means it. Feels that he does. So he nods, drags Eddie's own hand to his lips and kisses it, like Eddie had done.

"I love you too." Steve whispers into his skin. Eddie's free hand is at his chin then, tilting his head just so,

"I know." Breathed against his mouth, and then the softest press of lips before Eddie is leaning away just enough to breathe between them.

"Now look away, cuz I'm about to inhale this entire box of chocolate covered cherries." He whispers, his lips brushing Steve's again as he laughs into Eddie's mouth.

He does actually eat the whole box. Well, almost the whole box. He lets Steve have one, sinks his teeth into it as he holds it in his mouth and dares Steve to take it. And Steve's never been one to turn down a dare. Especially if it's sweet.

And Steve is quickly learning, there's nothing quite as sweet as candy covered Eddie kisses.

[bruisedviolette]

i was 11 when the first season of stranger things came out. i first watched it right before season 2 was released. i still remember the way i felt that spring, the way the air felt, it was so hot, i was basically stuck inside. my mum and i watched the entire first season in the span of two days. i can almost taste and smell the memory of that time in my life. arizona peach iced tea, mario badescu rosewater spray, sunflowers by elizabeth arden.

i first watched stranger things as a closeted and mentally ill child. i wished i could just be normal, like everybody else. i had a crush on my best friend at the time, i think she liked me too. we haven’t spoken in eight years. seeing a depiction of what i was going through, albeit a very different situation, as portrayed in a show that was so popular and widely loved by the general public in the character of will made me realise that things will be okay. everything will eventually work out.

when i was a kid i regularly had dreams in which i would go missing. there was never anything else to the dreams, or nightmares rather, i’d just disappear. sometimes i wished i would go missing. i felt like a burden to my friends and family because of my mental health issues, and the cherry on top was me being a lesbian. i used to cry myself to sleep and ask God if he was listening, why couldn’t i just be the normal daughter that every other parent seemed to have?

i’m so lucky that my parents accept me for who i am. i grew up thinking that everybody hated me because of my sexuality, that i was disgusting and wrong. i see a lot of myself in will, and joyce with my own mother.

all this to say that i Will be crying hysterically if there is a graduation scene in season 5. this show has been a constant throughout my life since i was 12. i’m 20 now, and since watching the first season as a mentally ill closeted child, i’ve changed a lot, and i’m a lot less sad than i used to be. i used to think i’d always feel like a mistake, like something was wrong with me, like i had to hide who i truly am.

i know this sounds so cliché, but it gets better. i’ve lived it. if you told me a decade ago that i would be living as an open lesbian, with friends and family that couldn’t care less about my sexuality and love me for who i am, i wouldn’t have believed you. trust me. it gets better. representation is so important in a show as impactful as stranger things for people like me and so many other queer people.

to anyone reading this, i love you, i care about you, and everything will work out in the end.

[ghostflowerdreams]

Who are your favorite artists? The art kind.

I'm a bit surprised I haven't been asked this question before!

I appreciate so many artists that it's hard to narrow it down. But based on what I can remember and what I can check on my Instagram and bookshelf, here are some of my favorites:

Gustave Doré (1832–1883) → A French artist, illustrator, and sculptor, celebrated for his intricate and dramatic engravings and illustrations. He is best known for his illustrations of classic literary works, including Dante Alighieri's The Divine Comedy, John Milton's Paradise Lost, and Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven. His skillful blend of realism and romanticism, combined with his mastery of visual storytelling, has established him as a significant figure in the history of illustration and fine art.

Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890) → A Dutch post-impressionist painter renowned for his expressive use of color and bold brushwork, which had a profound influence on 20th-century art. His most famous works, such as Starry Night, Sunflowers, and The Bedroom, showcase his unique style and emotional depth, capturing the beauty of the world around him.

Henriëtte Ronner-Knip (1821–1909) → A Dutch-Belgian painter best known for her detailed and charming depictions of domestic cats. Specializing in animal paintings, her style combined realism and a romantic touch, often portraying cats in cozy, playful, or elegant settings that captured their personalities and grace. She was celebrated for her ability to convey texture, particularly in fur, and created intimate, lifelike scenes that became popular in 19th-century bourgeois society.

John William Waterhouse (1849–1917) → A British painter associated with the Pre-Raphaelite movement, known for his romantic and mythological subjects. His art style blends elements of Romanticism and Classicism, featuring realistic figures, rich colors, and a strong focus on nature and detail. Waterhouse is best known for his depictions of female figures from mythology and literature, such as The Lady of Shalott and Ophelia, which convey a sense of beauty, melancholy, and mystery, making his work iconic in the realm of 19th-century art.

Harry Clarke (1889–1931) → An Irish stained-glass artist and illustrator. His work was influenced by Gothic art, Symbolism, Art Nouveau, and Irish folklore. This blend resulted in a distinctive aesthetic that harmoniously intertwines beauty with darker themes. Clarke is best known for his illustrations in classic literary texts, including James Joyce's Dubliners and Edgar Allan Poe's Tales of Mystery and Imagination. In these works, his illustrations masterfully balance whimsy and darkness, creating striking visual narratives that continue to resonate with audiences.

Alphonse Mucha (1860–1939) → A Czech painter and decorative artist best known for his distinctive Art Nouveau style, characterized by intricate, flowing lines, elaborate floral motifs, and a harmonious use of soft colors. Mucha's work often features idealized female figures, embodying beauty and elegance, and is heavily inspired by his fascination with nature and Slavic folklore. He gained fame for his poster designs, particularly those promoting the actress Sarah Bernhardt, as well as his decorative panels and illustrations.

J.C. Leyendecker (1874–1951) → An American illustrator renowned for his iconic magazine covers and advertising art, particularly his work for The Saturday Evening Post and the Arrow Collar Man campaign. Leyendecker's mastery of visual storytelling and branding helped shape American commercial art in the early 20th century, and he significantly influenced later artists, including Norman Rockwell.

Leonid Afremov (1955–2019) → A Belarusian-born artist known for his vibrant, impressionistic paintings created using a palette knife technique. His distinctive art style features bold colors and dynamic brushstrokes, often depicting landscapes, city scenes, and emotional moments, such as rain-soaked streets or sunlit parks.

Ayami Kojima → A Japanese artist and illustrator best known for her work in video game design, particularly as the character designer for the Castlevania series. Her art style is characterized by intricate, gothic aesthetics, combining dark fantasy elements with a detailed, ethereal quality.

Victoria Francés → A Spanish illustrator known for her evocative illustrations that blend gothic, fantasy, and romantic themes. She is particularly known for her illustrated books, including the popular series Faery Tales, which showcases her unique blend of fantasy and gothic aesthetics.

Yoshitaka Amano → A Japanese artist and illustrator renowned for his distinctive style in character design and concept art, particularly for the Final Fantasy video game series. His style fuses his interests in traditional Japanese aesthetics like those of wood block prints with Western fantasy elements. It results in ethereal forms, and a dreamlike quality, especially with Amano's use of watercolor techniques and intricate details to create a sense of movement and fluidity in his work.

Nico Delort (IG: nicodelort) → A French illustrator known for his detailed, black-and-white artworks created using scratchboard techniques. His art style is heavily influenced by the aesthetics of 19th-century engravings and woodcuts, blending elements of Gothic, fantasy, and mythological themes. Delort's work is recognized for its dramatic use of light and shadow, intricate textures, and atmospheric depth, often depicting moody, fantastical scenes.

Vania Zouravliov → A Russian-born artist known for his intricate, surreal illustrations that blend dark, fairy-tale-like themes with fine detail and symbolism. Zouravliov's work explores beauty and darkness, merging the macabre with the fantastical.

James Jean (IG: jamesjeanart) → A Taiwanese-American visual artist and illustrator known for his surreal, highly detailed works that blend elements of fantasy, mythology, and pop culture. Jean gained early recognition for his award-winning covers for DC Comics' Fables series.

Audrey Kawasaki (IG: audkawa) → A Japanese-American artist known for her blend of contemporary Japanese aesthetics and Western art influences. Her ethereal paintings often depict young women surrounded by nature, featuring intricate line work and a soft color palette. Her works are typically painted on wood panels, adding a quality that enhances the emotional depth of her subjects.

Jessica Cioffi (IG: Loputyn) → An Italian artist known for her enchanting illustrations and concept art that seamlessly blend traditional and digital techniques. Her work reflects the influence of 19th century neo-gothic and Japanese manga, and among the artist's favorite themes are witchcraft, folklore, and mystery.

Wenqing Yan (IG: yuumeiart) → A Chinese-American digital artist and illustrator known for her detailed, expressive art. Her style blends elements of anime, fantasy, and realism, featuring vibrant colors and intricate designs. Yan draws inspiration from nature, technology, and personal experiences, and she is well-known for her webcomic Fisheye Placebo and art series like Knite, which explore themes of activism, technology, and the environment.

Gretel Lusky (IG: gretlusky) → An Argentine digital artist and illustrator, Gretel Lusky is recognized for her whimsical, vibrant artwork featuring fantasy characters, and magical themes. Her style blends cartoon and anime elements, characterized by bold lines, expressive characters, and a colorful palette. She is well-known for her enchanting illustrations on social media, where she shares art tutorials and collaborates on various comics, book covers, and other projects. She is also known for her debut graphic novel Primer, an original graphic novel for DC Comics.

Margaret Morales (IG: margaretmoralesart) → A Filipino watercolor artist currently residing in America. Margaret Morales is known for her dreamy, ethereal portraits that intertwine feminine figures with elements of nature, such as flowers and animals. Her style, characterized by soft brushwork and pastel hues, creates a surreal, fairytale-like atmosphere. Her evolving work draws inspiration from art nouveau, mythology, fantasy, natural elements, Japanese/manga art, and fashion.

Tactooncat → An Indonesian digital artist known for creating illustrations that feature cats in a humorous and whimsical style, particularly cat memes and videos. Their work appeals to cat lovers and fans of lighthearted, expressive illustrations.

There are so many more, but hopefully the ones I've mentioned have caught your interest enough that you'll want to look them up. Each artist offers a unique perspective, whether through their distinctive style, use of color, themes, or techniques—there’s plenty to discover and enjoy.

[aglimmeroflightrefusingtofade]

Jonathan and Hopper headcanons?

Hello, my dearest Sunflower! :D

Jonathan has serious issues with Hopper's authority for a while (thank you, Lonnie Fuckface Byers) but once Hopper's proved that he can be trusted with Jonathan's siblings and mom (not becoming violent when drunk/drinking less, being kind to Will and El and treating Joyce well, respecting everyone's personalities and interests and boundaries and such, etc), he's willing to allow him near his family more. It still takes about another year for Jonathan to move away and let his family and Hopper be around each other unsupervised.

Hopper and Jonathan never get quite as close as the Will&Hopper and El&Joyce duos do, but they do still care about each other and Hopper (tries to be) extremely supportive

Jonathan's extremely wary of Hopper's drinking, as Lonnie would become extremely violent, but instead of becoming violent after getting drunk one night, he just became extremely affectionate and insisted on baking with El and hugging Jon, Will, and El before they went to bed, which was part of the turning point in Jon seeing him as trustworthy.

For Jonathan, he doesn't see Hopper as a parent for himself, but he does see him as a trustworthy adult, and that's as good as anyone can get with Jonathan.

(Hopper secretly loves Jonathan, but he just settles for calling him with Joyce regularly and taking him out to lunch when he's home from college.)

Thanks for asking, Sunny!! <3

[igotthejob]

When Eddie was a kid, having just moved in with Wayne, Wayne went downtown to run some errands and took Eddie with him. He remembers wandering the aisles while the woman working there showed Wayne the tools he needed at Melvalds, when he heard a thunk against the glass.

It turned out to be a bird that had flown into the glass and was now on the ground. It looked big and puffed up, and one of its wings was drooping. He watched, through the class, as people walked past it, one person almost stepping on it. Before he knew what he was doing, he ran to the door, the bell above the door ringing as he crashed into it, slowing his run as he stopped at the animal.

As Eddie knelt to get a closer look at the injured bird, he could see the fear in its eyes. The bird was trying to hop away, but its injured wing held it back. Eddie's heart went out to the creature, and without a second thought, he carefully scooped it up in his hands. The bird flapped its wings weakly, but Eddie held on gently, trying to calm it.

He held it tightly but carefully, quickly running back inside, eyes darting frantically around the store before stopping at his target, and with the hand not holding the bird, grabbed and dragged the bag from it’s place on the shelf to where his uncle was now checking out. Carefully, he strained as he lifted the large bag and pushed it up onto the counter.

“And why do we need a bag of sunflowe- Oh.”

Wayne's sentence trailed off as he noticed the injured bird in Eddie's hands. He was silent, for a moment, and Eddie held the bird a little closer. Then, Wayne turned to the woman behind the counter, and asked, “You wouldn’t happen to have a cardboard box, would you Joyce?” She smiled softly at them, before pursing her lips.

“There might be something in the back.”

Read the rest on ao3

[scarlet-pandrian]

Can You Be My Sunflower In The Snow

To grow up without a father was something Dustin never thought of as a problem. Why should it be one? His mother was perfect in every sense of the word. Claudia Henderson was a Goddess on earth, she did everything in her might to give Dustin the perfect childhood, to fulfill every wish he had. She worked at night so she could be there for him every morning to make him breakfast. She drove him to the playground, the Wheelers’ and then the arcade everyday until she got him his first bike. And even then she tried to drive him at night out to school events, she even drove him to his first ever convention.

When Dustin turned seven he learned about summer camps and all those different kinds of camps. He fell in love instantly because he saw an opportunity to see the world and learn different kinds of things. There were summer camps for math, for astrology and tech- things he was interested in. So Claudia, the angel she was, saved money every year so Dustin could go to summer camp, because Dustin loved it there. When he met Mike's parents for the first time, he realized one thing. A father wasn’t important. Ted Wheeler sat in his armchair, read his newspaper and told them off because they ate too loud. When he met Will’s parents he was grateful for his mother- for only having his mom, because Lonnie Byers was an A-grade asshole. Then the trio met Lucas at the arcade and they became friends and so he met the Sinclairs.

Mr.Sinclair was…he was kind, and supportive of Lucas but he also worked a lot, so oftentimes he only saw Mrs.Sinclair and Baby Sinclair. For a minute he thought that fathers could also be something good, something a young kid needs but then everything happened at the Byers’ and he saw how much Joyce loved her kids and how little Lonnie loved them. So, in his book, that was it. Why should he need a Dad if he had the best Mom out there?

So Dustin never understood why he should need or want a dad, he had everything he needed with Claudia. He did understand however, how lonely it was to be an only child. His Mom called him precious when he was a child because that's what he was for her: precious. But his Mom never wanted a second child- or rather she could never afford another child and couldn’t get over the death of her husband. So Dustin was her everything and that was okay but…kook. He had eyes, and all his friends had siblings, Mike even had two of them.

Will and Jonathan had a bond like no other, they probably needed it, but Jon did everything for Will. He brought him to every playdate the kids had, he shaped his taste in music and clothes and he was simply there for him. Lucas on the other hand didn’t adore his little sister, sometimes he hated her, because he couldn’t go to places with his friends because of her or because she was nosy. But at the end of the day…he helped her with everything. They always did their homework together and Lucas told them that he sometimes missed watching saturday morning cartoons together with Erica in his bed.

And Mike- two sisters, that was a lot. Especially Nancy. But she was the first person Mike ever played DnD with, she was the first person who would know something about his life, he would always go to Nancy when life got hard and he could always go to Holly to simply laugh or play Knights and Princess with her.

His friends were never alone, when the party wasn't together. Dustin however- he was alone at home. No nosy sibling, no one to share a secret or a meal with. He was all alone when Claudia went to work or even when she was at home. She was his mother not…a friend.

He wished for a sibling, but he wasn't stupid, he knew he would never get one and that was okay. He had friends, the best friends a boy could wish for.

And then he met Steve Harrington and everything changed. It was such a corny and stupid sentence but at the end of the day, no, at the end of the world, it was true. If Dustin ever stuck into a time loop, he would adopt Dart every single damn time for the rest of his life just to meet Steve Harrington. He didn't see ‘King Steve The Hair Harrington’ that day at the Wheelers’, he saw a boy that wanted to meet a girlfriend who wasn't even there. He saw someone strong who could help him find his demodog. He did not think that this boy would stand between him and his friends and a hoard of demodogs, that this boy would fight Billy freaking Hargrove for them, for Lucas, for Max. But when that day had ended, he had known for sure that he never wanted this boy to leave his life again.

Dustin knew that Nancy and Jonathan helped Mike and Will for the Snow Ball, he knew Erica made fun of Lucas’ outfit that day and…yeah. He wanted help for his hair, he wanted to look good for Max and the ladies but he also wanted to not be alone, to have someone that would be there for him but also would make fun of his stupid suit. And Steve; he was the first person to ever be a sibling for him.

Steve was his brother in every sense of the word. After Upside Down Round 2 and ‘the fight’ Steve made sure that somebody would drive them, because nobody knew for sure what could happen in a town like Hawkins.

He could simply call Steve and ask him for help and he would be there. But he also realized something else at that time.

He was not the only kid who felt lonely, who wished for a sibling. Dustin was many things;stupid wasn't one of them. He noticed rather quickly the loneliness Steve carried with him. A big house, with no parents ever present, nobody who would go to his competitions, nobody who cooked food for him, there was simply Steve in this house filled with ghosts instead of memories. And Dustin hated this, he told Claudia about this and his mom, she was an angel, wanted Steve's phone number, called him and Sunday's Dinner got invented. She loved cooking, so to have another tummy to fill was a dream come true for her.

He hated sports and he hated watching them, but he tried to visit Steve's competitions because if he wasn't there, nobody was and Steve… he always laughed about it. Dustin didn’t understand why, until he realized that Steve was a fighter and a fighter will never show you his weakness. So Steve played it off, his absent parents, his loneliness and that he lost his friend group. It was a shitty friend group for sure, but it was everything he had for a long time and to now see them hate him, that must hurt.

1985 was the first year Dustin thought about not going to summer camp. They rarely talked about the Upside Down, because trauma bonds are strong but also create walls you can't easily climb, but he feared that something could happen if he wasn't there. That not everyone would be here, when he will come back. He hated his thoughts but he feared for Will and he saw how little Steve thought of himself, which in this context meant, he would sacrifice himself first before anyone if they got hurt. He dreamed about coming back and standing before Steve's gravestone… he woke up screaming, he woke up crying after these nightmares.

So he told his Mom that he was too old for summer camp, that the money should go to his college fund and that there wasn't even any interesting camps anymore. Which was a lie of course, he wanted to go to Camp Know Where for years, he stood on the waiting list for 5 years and this year he got accepted. But the camp was simply that, a camp. Steve, he was his brother, the boys and Max were his party, his family. He could not leave them.

Steve was the one who sent him to summer camp. He helped him pack and he told him that everything would be fine, they made a code system that summer and he forced the Harrington boy into writing him letters every single week.

So when he came back and met Robin Buckley, the co-worker Steve wrote a lot about in his letters, Dustin was excited.

But then, oh no, Upside Down Round 3 began. Though he didn't know that, he thought the Russians and the Upside Down were two completely different things, yeah. He was wrong, they were the same fucking thing. And again, here was Steve, helping him, getting beat up for him and Erica and that nosy co-worker girl. He meant it when he said “If you die, I die” because what should he do without Steve? He never had a brother but he knew there would never be a better brother than Steve in his life. They were meant to be brothers, two lonely boys in a hellish town. Steve was all the goodness Dustin never possessed. He… couldn't be weak, not in his condition, not when he needed to help Will feel comfortable. Steve, after he got rid of those stupid rich kids, was everything good in this world. He was a sunflower in a field of snow, strong enough to withstand the cold world.

A lot of people, Mike included, told him that Steve was a dick in High School, but he saw it as a defense mechanism, something Steve did because he was a soft soul after all. Something Steve did because a lot of people hurt him and everything he wished for was to be loved. And at the end of the day, Dustin too, was an asshole. He called Steve stupid and other names, because the other boy didn’t understand him. He called Erica childish simply because she was younger than the rest of them. He was booksmart, the others were booksmart, his girlfriend was booksmart so Dustin had a problem with people who weren't. Some people simply aren't smart but they are something better, something that is way harder to achieve, because they are kind. And Steve, he was kind and loved with his full body, he would rescue them before even thinking about himself.

So yeah, he didn’t know how he could ever live without that person in his life. He saved Steve not only because he loved him, he saved him, because Dustin couldn’t phantom a life without Steve in it anymore. He could not even think about a life as an only child because he had Steve and he would die before losing Steve again.

Steve warned him, all of them really, what it could mean to be a freshman, who to trust and which people to avoid. Dustin thought this all would be bullshit. He wore his math shirt on the first day, ran into Jason Craver and then he got a swirly. An amazing first day, really. It was great. On his second day he searched for Eddie Munson. Will had told them that Eddie had helped him, that he'd given him permission to join his school club. So of course Dustin and the boys tried to get into Hellfire. Eddie was an ass, but he also looked at them, really looked at them and then they were never alone again. The curly haired boy helped them find a footing in a school that was so different from the one before. In a time when Mike lost his focus because he lost El and Will. In a time when Lucas and Max broke up and didn’t get together again. In a time when it felt like they lost the red-haired girl.

Yeah, at first he wanted to meet Eddie for Hellfire, for a good DM to finally play again because Mike wasn’t all that great. But then he and Eddie, they clicked. The other boy had an amazing taste in fantasy literature, his music taste was a bit off but that was okay because Eddie could talk for hours about different music genres, like Dustin could talk for hours about numbers.

When he realized that Steve Harrington was jealous of Eddie Munson? He had not believed it himself, because he had never thought about Steve's side in this situation, that for the other boy it must have felt like losing a loved one again. That Dustin would be away on Sundays more and more, that sometimes Steve didn’t meet him outside of driving him places for weeks on end. He saw that Eddie and Dustin not only clicked but that they were similar. And Dustin? What did he do about it? He made fun of Steve.

But nothing could have ever prepared him for the springbreak of hell.

The Upside Down would always return on important days, never did the shit hit the fan at some boring time like a regular Monday. They've had Christmas, Halloween and the Fourth of July and now every spring break will remind him of this…this horrible round 4 of the Upside Down.

When he saw that the police of Hawkins had Eddie as their main suspect his first instinct was calling Steve, because his big brother always helped him. So he got Max and they drove to Family Video, they found Eddie, because Robin was a smartass like them, and got him back. They had a chance to help, to save him. And everytime in this awful week, every single time he thought they could make it, that it could only get better at that point, it got worse.

He never saw Steve's recklessness as a cry for help, so he also never saw Eddie's big personality as armor or a shield for the other boy to hide behind. Eddie was a bard, he was a natural at entertaining others. He had the ability to manipulate others into believing that he was this strong and loud-mouthing man. But at the end of the game, when no dice will roll again, he was a lonely little boy who didn't even believe in himself. Who didn’t believe in the fact that others could love him, who could never love himself. He didn't believe the fact that his uncle Wayne loved him to the moon and back, that he wasn't a burden for the other man but a blessing. He also did not believe that his friends actually liked him, that they would be sad without him. That he had an impact on anyone. That he changed the lives of others for the better. Eddie, he was like the moon. The light that was surrounded by others but would alway shine the brightest. The guiding light, that you’d follow when everything else is dark.

Eddie, he became Dustin's second brother. And he was the first person who died that really meant something to him.

Sometimes he would wake up and ask himself if he could have done more, if he could have told Eddie more often how important he was to him and them, that he was as much part of his party as the rest of them. Sometimes he would wake up screaming the name of this lost boy and then he would cry. Because at the end of the day, it would always be Dustin's fault.

He also screamed that fateful day. First he yelled after Eddie, he tried his best to get back into the hell dimension to help. But he was too slow, all those Demobats fell to the ground and then there was his brother, bloodied on the cold ground. In that moment he wasn’t the moon, he was a shooting star. “I didn’t run away this time, right?” He wished that Eddie would have run away or that he could have just cast a saving spell and Eddie would get back up and laugh, but this wasn’t a stupid game. This was reality and reality really sucked.

He made him swear that he would take on Hellfire, that he would be the next Eddie…but how could he save other kids if he could not even save his own brother? What did Eddie see in him? He was another lost soul, not a shining moon or a strong sunflower. He was only Dustin Henderson.

When Eddie had stopped breathing…Dustin had screamed at him first, he should wake up, he can’t go and leave him alone. And then he'd screamed for Steve, Steve could help him and… he wanted his brother there. The Harrington boy ran, but even running through the Upside Down will not bring a dead one back. Steve had stood there, over them, he got to Dustin and hugged him, so hard that it felt like his ribs would break.

The first days after getting out there… actually, to this day he didn't know what he'd felt back then. Telling Wayne Munson that his nephew died; how can you tell a man that his greatest gift was gone forever? Dustin was not cut out for this. He was a simple boy, he could explain Euler's identity, but how could he explain to a man that his only child had died protecting a town that tried to hunt him down? That he did not kill Chrissy, that he'd played the most metal concert in history, that he did not only save Dustin but changed his life for the better. After this day he never saw Wayne Munson again, he asked himself a lot why. Had the old man died of a broken heart? He will never find the answer and he is happy about that. Sometimes it is better if a mystery stays a mystery.

“Never change, Dustin Henderson”; Eddie was a stupid boy for telling him that and then dying. Because traumatic events will always change people. He was so angry at Max because Billy was an abusive prick, more than one time Billy tried to kill them and yet Max changed after losing Billy. She changed so much that she would have almost been his second victim. Losing Eddie did the same with Dustin, it changed him. He got irrationally angry, at everyone and everything. He would snap, at his friends, at Steve and at his mom. Because nobody could understand Dustin. Nobody knew how it felt for him to visit Eddie's grave and see these awful words. Eddie was not a murderer or a cultist or a monster, he was a kind boy, too kind for this town.

He started growing his hair out, started wearing rings, he wanted to be closer to the shadow of a boy, to the ghost of his brother. He tried so hard to get Eddie back, to be near him that he forgot about Steve. Steve had Robin, she was his soulmate. Steve had the party, they loved him. Steve had Claudia, or so he thought.

He knew that this was not over, everyone knew it really. It was a matter of time, really.

In 1988, He started High School as a senior, he was the head of Hellfire and he got together with Suzie. Overall a good year, the perfect time for the Upside Down to make a comeback.

Steve and Robin started community College and worked their fifth job together, everything was fine. Yeah, he was a dick to the people he loved most, but other than that everything was fine.

Losing Steve was a pain Dustin could not put into words. Steve died a hero, saving the people he loved the most. He was a level 20 paladin, the strongest soldier they had, the most loyal soul out there. But even that could not save him, when death stood at his door. The worst part was that Dustin wasn’t even there when it happened. He came back and he saw Eleven and Mike, He saw Will and Nancy. But he couldn’t see Robin, or Jonathan or…Steve. He lost his triumphant smile instantly, he asked for them and everyone got silent. Something was so wrong he felt it. And then he saw Robin Buckley, this strong and quick-witted woman, bent over a bloodied body, over a young man with brown hair and closed eyes.

“No”, he screamed. Robin looked at him with red rimmed eyes that screamed of sadness.

“Dustin, I'm sorry…”

He sat beside her and they held Steve together, a long time. He could not let go of his brother and she could not let go of her other half, her soulmate.

Sometimes, on good days, Dustin would buy sunflowers and Robin would buy ice cream and they'd meet, sit together, listen to Tears for Fears and Abba and in these small moments he felt Steve at their side. Holding their hands and smiling.

On other days he would smash a vase and cry for hours because he never in his life wanted to be an only child again and he missed them so much that even breathing hurt.

Today he was back in Hawkins, it was his 22nd Birthday. Eddie never got to be 22. Steve never got older than 22. The boys wanted to throw him a big party, they wanted to celebrate because every year they make it was another year worth celebrating, right? Birthdays were something they needed to celebrate because there was a time in their life that simply wasn't on the table anymore. He decided against it, and told them next year. That he needed to be in Hawkins again this year. So he bought flowers and visited Claudia again. His mother never left this cursed town. He was thankful for her because he would have never left if she wasn’t here.

They ate his birthday cake and talked about his new girlfriend, about university and the boys. She told him that Max got better at walking and that her new cat was a shy little thing.

Then he bought big and beautiful sunflowers. He wanted the most beautiful ones because he wanted the best for the king. He also bought another set of beautiful dice.

Meeting his brothers on his special day was his only birthday wish this year. He sat in between their graves and laughed for a moment before he laid his presents at their graves.

“I miss you guys so much, you know? I think…I think I was the luckiest guy on this planet to get to meet you, to call you both my brothers. I hope you two are proud of me. I know I changed a lot. But I hope that…That I changed to be like you guys? I’m happy about it. About not being an only child anymore, about talking about you, because you are my heroes and…Thank you. Both of you.”

Also on AO3:

[heavenlytouches]

Maybe a weird one but can I get Joyce Byers mom teaching u to cook? Thank you

Hi love <3 and noo, don't worry it's not weird! It's really really sweet :) I loove Winona Ryder so let's goo ^^ El <3

Joyce Byers- a pinch of love

⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

GN reader

<3 (SFW)

TW-none

MOM! Joyce Byers

my mommy issues TwT istg

Joyce Byers

The aroma of garlic and sautéed onions fills the air in the Byers’ kitchen, mingling with the famous 80’s tune blaring from the old transistor radio that sits on the countertop.

The soft, syrupy notes of Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time” play a comforting backdrop to the busy scene unfolding in the dimly lit kitchen. You take a moment to lean against the doorframe, watching your mother, Joyce Byers, expertly chop vegetables with a smile that could light up even the darkest of rooms.

“Are you just going to stand there, or are you going to help me make the best lasagna in Hawkins?”

She calls playfully, her voice riddled with laughter and a hint of sarcasm. You can’t help but chuckle to yourself.

"Yes ma'am. Your co-worker is ready for business!"

You say, playfully and smile at your mom, listening to Cyndi filling the kitchen with beautiful positive energy.

This is the kind of moment you live for—just the two of you, no upside-down monsters lurking around, no government experiments to worry about, just a mother and child soaking up the warmth of a shared moment.

You step into the kitchen, your sneakers squeaking against the linoleum flooring. The walls are painted a soothing shade of pale yellow, adorned with sunflowers—Joyce's favorite. The retro appliances hum softly, and you smile, recalling how she often tells stories of their quirky past when she bought each one.

You take your place at the kitchen island, pulling on the apron she handed you—one covered in cartoon cats that always makes you laugh, no matter how many times you wear it.

Joyce gives you a look of approval as she dusts her hands on her apron, the fabric twinkling with bits of flour and an assortment of spices.

“Okay, first things first-”

She says, leaning closer, her eyes twinkling.

“Cooking is like magic, and the kitchen is our world of enchantment. You’ve got to put your heart into every dish.”

With a quick flick of her wrist, she picks up a clove of garlic, handing it to you.

“Can you crush this for me?”

You nod, grabbing a knife and awkwardly trying to replicate what she effortlessly does.

"Am I doing it right?"

You ask as she looks at you, her eyes full of love.

“Don’t smash it like it owes you money.”

She teases, her laughter ringing through the room. It’s infectious, and soon you are both giggling, the tension of the day melting away.

Joyce pulls out a cookbook from a shelf—its spine cracked, pages stained with a bit of sauce and love.

“This is my secret weapon..”

She whispers, as if sharing a grand secret with you.

“The better the recipe, the more you can improvise!”

As you dive deeper into the culinary journey, she shares with you little tidbits about her childhood, her dreams, and how even the most mundane ingredients can bring family together.

You chop, mix, and taste, dodging flour clouds materializing as she playfully throws a pinch at you, exclaiming-

“The more, the merrier!”

Amid the laughter, there’s a moment of seriousness as she lights a cigarette, the smoke curling up like a ghost.

“Never lose your ability to be silly, sweetheart.."

She says thoughtfully, her voice a blend of bravado and vulnerability.

“Life can be tough, but laughter is the best seasoning.”

You nod, absorbed in her words. It’s these little life lessons that cement your bond, making you realize that cooking is more than just about the food—it’s about sharing love through every layer, every flavor.

"You always know how to make me feel better mom."

You add, smiling to her as she takes another drag of her cigarette.

"Also, does Cyndi help while making food?

You smile, Joyce laughing with you. She sees you're just like her.

As the lasagna bubbles away in the oven, Joyce retrieves a couple of glasses from the cupboard, and pours a splash of grape soda for you both—simple pleasures that feel straight out of an adventure movie.

“Did I ever tell you how I used to dance to Prince in the living room while making dinner?”

She asks, her expression mischievous.

“I think I heard that story, like, a hundred times."

You reply with a smile, taking a sip and savoring the sweetness. But you wouldn’t have it any other way.

Each retelling brings you closer to understanding your mom—the woman with a propensity for wild hair and wild dreams.

Before long, the timer dings, and Joyce lifts the lasagna from the oven, its cheesy aroma filling the space like a warm blanket. She turns, her eyes sparkling with pride.

“You ready for the best meal ever?”

You burst out in enthusiastic agreement, your heart swelling. Moments like these turn the chaos of everyday life into treasured memories.

As you sit down to eat, laughter continues to resonate between you, a symphony of flavor and familial bond filling the room.

In this cozy kitchen, surrounded by the essence of the 80’s and the unmistakable warmth of love, you realize that you’re learning more than how to cook; you’re learning about life, connection, and family—one delicious meal at a time.

Yaaaaaay women in my requests!! I loved this one so so much. I hope y'all liked it too. I can write anything for any character babes and don't forget- requests are always open and welcome <33

I love you guys so much

El <3

(all images were made by: El via canva & paint)

[erikiara80]

S2. Bob says that he can't stop thinking about Joyce. He feels like a teenager. Joyce... not so much. She doesn't really love him.

S3. Both Hopper and Joyce, who love each other, act like teenagers, and Murray even call them out.

In The First Shadow, we see Joyce, Hopper and Bob as teenagers, and the romantic tension between Joyce and Hopper (here Hopper looks like a Ghostbuster, like Will- imo, his kid)

For some reason, at the end of the play they don't get together... My theory is that they actually did, but because of mind control experiments and time trickery they forgot. But in S3, when they finally start flirting, it's like they're teenagers again.

Sometimes I wonder if they worked together in the past/another timeline. In S3 Hopper says that Joyce should work with him, and in S4 she says that Murray is the Starsky to her Hutch (two police detectives). I'm not sure, but I wouldn't be surprised.

Also, in S3 Hopper looks just like Magnum P.I., a private investigator and a Vietnam War veteran.

At 7-Eleven (hm) the cashier asks him if he's a bounty hunter, and we see the word bounty in 3x01.

Yellow flowers (like sunflowers?), a little girl (El?), bounty and a brawny man with mustache. They're telling a whole story here. I wonder if that's what happened in the past.

[humblebumble069]

Working on httyd Will and his DRAGON sunflowers might aswell rant abt it

So the story is still in progress so if anyone has ideas or critiques PLS share cuz I genuinenly don't know what I'm doing

11 yrs old

The og 4 are like playing or whatever, and Will who is the shy creative viking who can't really wield any weapon, Mike is the same but he just loves to read the book abt dragons (hiccup sorta vibe) Lucas and Dustin can wield weapons, Dustin LOVES creating new weapons and machinary for taking down dragons

El is with vecnas uhh thing (yk Draco from the 2nd movie, basically that) as an "accidental child" (pls dont shoot me) but she has a special gift of being able to understand drgaon on a deeper level... So they use her to brainwash dragons

El manages to escape when she finds a baby dragon (rare one), and Will in the meantime got lost in the forest and after hours of walkign he fidns a small dragons nest

The party and joyce, Johnathan all get worried, Mike Dustin Lucas go searching and just find el

Basically almost like s1 but with dragons and no electricity, Mike hides El in Dustins workplace and all are like conflicted cuz El has a dangerous baby dragon

Meanwhile, Will is doing his best to not freak out, but the dragons seem nice towards Will and aren't attacking him like Will though, he did try to use a dull knife but he looked a bit silly

Montage - Will befriends the drgaon and the party find out abt Els ability to befriend drgaons

OKAY SO THATS WHAT I HAVE FOR NOW, how do they find Will? I have no clue

[fermiomoriblog]

Hi

I've abandoned this blog, haven't I? If two posts counted as a blog in the first place. Just haven't had time.

So a quick, lazy post today - top 5 favourite ao3 fics, in order:

These Days Without You by Smitty - I've called this the gold standard of sunflower before, and I haven't met anyone else who disagrees. Smitty is a highly talented writer. Masterful utilisation of headspace and the descriptive writing.

Their Time by ShardOfHope - This gets #2 not because of any shade on Shard, but because 1. it is shorter, and its value kind of does lie in the fact that it is shorter, 2. it is quite a bit darker so may not be suitable for everyone (but has a good ending, dw) and 3. sorry, but you do need a proofreader. (let me be your proofreader pls)

I won't spend too much time explaining it because virtually any explanation is a spoiler. All I'll say is, if you ever feel like you want to hurt yourself, read this. (And also talk to friends and therapists, of course.) Unironically.

Deep Down, We're Still The Same Kids by witheredahlia - fluff. All the fluff, and canon compliant, and still hits hard. It is, more or less, the best immediate post good end story.

The Everyday Shenanigans of Aubrey by Practicallyunethical - me, a filthy sunflower shipper, putting a sunburn fic on here!? But the author does handle the fic really, really well, taking what I can only call a surrealist approach to life. It's a bit hard to read, like all classics, but it is one of only a handful of omori fics that I can make genuine literary comparisons to the likes of James Joyce, etc. Beautiful work.

One More Time by GalileoGalilei - Another sunburn fic? Am I even a sunflower shipper anymore? (yes.) But I think that anyone who has read it will quite agree that it is an excellent and impactful work. There's lots of angst - this is post bad end - but a glimmer of hope at the end which keeps the reader going. It does fall into the "shafting Basil aside" pitfall I mentioned in my first post, in my opinion, but that does not detract massively from the value of the fic.

[juniperwoodwell]

Dedication

Ch. 1| Ch. 2| Ch. 3 |

Kylo Ren x F!Reader

Word count: 4k

Warning(s):None(Hopefully)

summary:As a Captain in the First Order, Y/N has never been one to bring attention to herself unless it was commanding her squadron. What happens when a personal hobby make's her prey to one of the most feared men in the universe?

A/n: There will be a Masterlist so you can keep track of the chapter's and the posting of these chapters won't be consistent I apologize. I started college recently and am most occupied with that. There will be a tag list so lmk if you want to be added.

"So? What did he say" Y/n asked the man who stood before her.

"It's been approved, but you only have an hour each day for one week. Then you are to return to your regular duties after that period is over," The man spoke calmly as he watched Y/n's eyes light up in excitement; Y/n pumped her fist in the air victoriously.

"Yes! Thank you, Father- I...I mean, Sir." She quickly corrected herself, but the man's face was just as happy as hers had been moments before.

"Little Sunflower, You don't need to call me Sir. You know that." He gently scolded,

"Mr. Sienor, You're needed for a Field test." A woman entered the room; she was his secretary, whom Y/n knew as Joyce.

"Yes, Thank you. Let them know I'm on my way." He dismissed Joyce and turned back to Y/n. "Now. You should also go; you start the inspection today and need to be in the hangar in twenty minutes."

"Okay. Be safe, Dad. And Tell mom I said hello." Raith nodded and left the room, Y/n soon leaving after him.

 The walk to the hangar typically took thirty minutes, but Y/n had a deadline, and she didn't want to be late. Upon arriving, Y/n was introduced to three engineers; one was a tall blonde man whose name she'd already forgotten, and another was a more petite brunette woman with thick-framed glasses whose name had also slipped her mind. She was briefed on the rules and regulations about what she would do. She was mostly there for personal reasons, but because she knew the ship like the back of her hand from the blueprints her father allowed her, the engineers asked her to do complete inspections on them and tell them if they'd missed anything in their checks and post-fight reports. It was a win-win situation. They got a temporary engineer, and she got to look over her favorite TIE model. The TIE/vn space superiority fighter, Or as most would call it. The TIE Silencer.

As Y/n stood with her hands on her hips in Infront of the brilliant ship, she observed every detail from the ground. She noticed some dents and scrapes on the hull.

"You must be the pilot they were speaking about." The low distorted voice seemed to startle the woman, who quickly turned around to address him; him...Kylo Ren, one of the most feared men in the galaxy.

 "uh. Yes. Sir, Capitan Y/n Sienor of the Special Forces." Spoke quickly and formally.

"Impulse." Her call sign rolled through the voice modulator like an animalistic growl.

"...You've heard of me then, Sir." A simple nod was the only response she received; assuming he was done talking, she turned back to the ship.

 A moment passed, and the distorted voice returned beside her. "Tell me everything you know about this ship, Capitan."

Y/n froze; she hadn't expected him to ask her such a question but obediently replied,

"Well, Sir. She's a prototype TIE/vn space superiority fighter with a twin-ion engine. Her maximum acceleration is four-thousand-five-hundred G's, Maximum atmospheric speed is one-thousand-eight-hundred and fifty kph. She's equipped with the torplex fight computer, two sensor arrays, four targeting sensors, and of course, life support. She was specifically designed for the use of the most elite in the first order. Her manufacturer is Sienar-jaemus Fleet Systems. She's fifty-seven feet long, twenty-five feet wide, and twelve feet tall. My favorite thing about her is how quiet she is." Once again, silence filled the tense air, and the looming figure caused Y/n to feel more anxious than she'd like to admit.

 "Impressive. But if you know it so well. Why do you need to study it?"He asked, turning his head towards her.

 "Selfishly. Personal reason, Sir. I was able to test fly one of the earlier models of this, and I was immediately enamored by it. But I wasn't able to study it like I had other models in the past, and when I heard that this one was here on the starkiller base, I asked my father to do me a favor. I'm not entirely sure who flies this beauty, but they're obviously of high rank and an exceptional pilot. She's not an easy one to fly." She turned her head towards him,

 "I know. It's mine." The shock on Y/n's face could have been comical without the slight tinge of fear she felt.

 "Oh. Wow, Must be an honor then" Her voice was dangerously close to wavering.

 "I approved your inspection under certain circumstances; I trust the engineers have briefed you on it." A nod from Y/n as she stood still like a statue. "You are to report your findings to the chief engineer after every shift. Be sure to make your reports detailed." Ending on that, Kylo Ren turned and left the hangar, leaving Y/n alone with her startled thoughts. 'Had he come here just to Interrogate me?'

The petite brunette woman made her way over to Y/n; surprise was written all over her features.

"Are you alright?" She asked, concern dripping off her words.

"Yes. I'm completely fine. I should start my inspection. I appreciate your concern, but it is unnecessary." Y/n spoke flatly as she began to climb into the cockpit of the TIE, surprised by how well-kept the ship was; apart from a few minor scratches, it was in peak condition.

 After inspecting the cockpit, she looked at the wings. The design of this TIE was aggressive and gave off a sense of power. The perfect ship for Kylo Ren, she thought to herself.

After that, the blonde engineer came over to let her know her hour was up. She thanked him and wrote a report; she left the hangar when she finished.

"Ah, look. Princess is back." A man with tanned skin and messy black hair spoke from his seat in the special forces lounge.

"Shut it, Cal. Where's the boss?" Y/n said sharply, ignoring the teasing from her squadron mates. "In his office like always." The man, Cal, replied. Y/n gave him a nod and then walked to the big red door in the back of the lounge. She opened the door, and as it slid up, she saw a figure clad In red armor.

 "Major. Do you have a moment?" Her voice was calm, but there was a tinge of anxiety.

"Of course, Come in." She did; the Major asked her to sit across from his desk. "What seems to be the matter?" He asked as he sat in his chair. Y/n fiddled with the hem of her captain's uniform,

 "I assume you're already aware of my temporary assignment. If I knew it would be approved, I would have asked your permission, Sir. I apologize for not doing so." A chuckle from the man before washed away the fear of punishment.

"If this assignment is to help the First Order succeed, then you have no reason to apologize. You're an expert when It comes to The TIE Starfighters. You have helped improve the ships tenfold. If you can do that here under my authority, then who am I to stop you." He spoke as if it was the simplest thing in the world.

"Of course, Thank you, Sir." She stood as he dismissed her.

The three Pilots who Y/n was closest to were all standing by the door when she exited.

 "You know these rooms are sound proof right?" the group shrugged; a taller woman in a tightfitting First Order undershirt and a pair of mechanics pants laid her hand on Y/n's shoulder.

"So...You're Inspecting Kylo Ren's ship? What's it like? Is it falling apart on the inside?" She joked,

"Miya! You Knew whose ship it was!?" Y/n asked, surprised.

"Uh. Yeah, Y/n. He's currently the only high-ranking officer who has a TIE Silencer." As they spoke, the door that Y/n was standing in front of opened, and the man in red spoke up,

"What are you all doing standing around? Don't you have work to do?" He asked, his voice stern but softened when he spoke to Y/n. "Don't you have a meeting with Phasma soon?" Y/n was startled by the realization and looked at her watch.

"Oh shoot. You're right. Okay, gotta go. Thank you for the reminder, Sir." she nodded to everyone and left the lounge room.

On her way to the conference room, she stopped by her quarters to grab her First Order mandatory captain's cap. She'd prefer not to get scolded by Hux for Improper military etiquette again. As she arrived at the conference room, she recognized the shiny platinum build

"Capitan Phasma," Y/n greeted formally. Phasma responded with a tort nod. Y/n liked to believe that she and Phasma were on good terms, Captains don't usually get along, but from the few conversations she's had with her, she knows Phasma, at the most, tolerates her.

"Are we early?" Y/n spoke up, her voice barely above a whisper, and Phasma looked down at her, nodding her head.

"There is one more person we're waiting for, H-"

"Hux...Fantastic." Y/n said dryly, Y/n had never been the military type, but she erased All expression from her face and stood at attention when she heard the annoyingly noticeable footsteps of General Armitage Hux.

"Capitans." He said with the same disdain he always used for anyone below him.

 "General." The women said in sync.

 Hux entered the conference room, and the two women followed after. The meeting started with the standard formalities and questions about Phasma's troopers and Y/n's new squadron, which she was teaching.

"Capitan Sienor, One more thing has been added to your new assignment. Kylo Ren has requested that he spectate the inspections on his ship. He will be joining you every hour for the next week." Shock snuck up onto Y/n's face, but it left as soon as it came.

 "Yes, Sir." She tightened her fists that were sitting in her lap. Phasma and Hux spoke some more, and the time seemed to fly by. When the meeting was over, they followed the same routine as when they came in: Hux, Phasma, and Y/n.

 It felt like there was a heavy weight now placed on Y/n's shoulders as she walked back to her quarters; she hadn't noticed the heavy footsteps behind her, and the daze she was in only seemed to snap away once she realized someone had placed their hand on her shoulder when she turned around she stared at the platinum giant with a forced smile.

"How can I help you, Capitan?"

"I need to speak with you. Do you have a moment?"

This behavior from Phasma would be very out of character to anyone who wasn't Y/n. They had lengthy conversations about work almost every two weeks if something was irritating them and they needed to let off some steam.

"Oh, Yeah. Of course. Come in," Y/n spoke as she walked to her door and opened it. Y/n offered Phasma a seat as she grabbed herself a glass of water.

"So, To what do I owe this visit?" She asked as she sat across from Phasma.

 "I know how you feel about Kylo Ren. I could sense your unease earlier; I want you to be extra cautious. You're a good leader; losing you would be a shame because of him and his temper tantrums." Phasma spoke easily as if she were speaking to one of her troopers. Had she not realized she had just said one of the kindest things Y/n had ever heard from anyone since she joined the first order?

Their conversation lasted about ten minutes before Phasma left; when the door closed, Y/n sighed. It was close to dinner time, and she took a quick shower before heading to the cafeteria.

"Y/n!" A voice called out to her as she entered the large room

"Callisto." she responded dryly, shrugging off the arm that was placed around her shoulders.

"Aw, come on. Don't be like that. Is this about me teasing you earlier? Because if it was, I hope you know I wasn't trying to hurt you. I'm sorry if I did-" He was cut off by Y/n placing her pointer finger against his lips, shutting him up

" You talk too much. And no, it has nothing to do with your teasing. I got used to that years ago." removing her hand from his face, she turned away and went to grab food. Hopefully, she tried to escape him, but he followed her like a lost pup.

 "What is it then? You know you can talk to me." He assured.

Callisto was a nice-ish guy, but he could be very annoying if he wanted to, so it was best to give him what he wanted.

"My new assignment isn't going to be as fun as I originally thought," Y/n sighed as she filled her plate and made her way to a seat, Cal mirroring her and sitting across from her.

"Originally thought what?" The gentle voice of Miya graced the small group's ears as she sat down next to Y/n.

"My assignment." Y/n tried her best to avoid this conversation, but her friends were persistent.

"Yeah? What about it?" Miya asked.

"Kylo Ren is spectating her investigations." A deep voice and strong figure appeared next to Cal.

"Shit! Ian. Where do you even come from!?" Cal cursed, startled by their soft-spoken friend.

"Of course, you'd know Killian." Miya rolled her eyes,

Killian knew a lot of dirt on a lot of people. Let's just say if you have a secret...He knows it.

"Teachers Pet." Y/n spat annoyedly,

"Princess." Killian replied in the same tone.

"Wait- So, really? Kylo Ren is spectating your investigations? Why?" Cal asked, stuffing his face with food.

"I don't know...Maybe he's worried I'll break something?" Y/n's tone was defeated, she did the best she could to stay as far away as possible from Kylo Ren, and now she has to spend an hour a day with him for the next week.

"I heard some of the techs say he looked you up," Killian spoke up

"Looked me up?"

"Yeah, You know. Like where you came from, How long you've been with the First Order, and your skill set."

 The look Y/n had given Killian was one full of disbelief.

"You're kidding me. Why the Hell would he need to know all that about her?" Miya asks, after being silent for the most part of the conversation.

"How should I know? I don't know everything, Miya."

"Well, you sure damn well act like it." The two bickered like an old married couple sometimes.

"Guys. Knock it off. Let's try not to draw attention to ourselves, please." Y/n spoke up as she slid her plate in front of her before standing from her seat.

 "Where are you going?" Cal asked, gently grabbing her wrist; she looked down and sighed.

"I gotta report to the Chief Engineer before the end of my shift."

"Okay, Just take it easy," he said as he squeezed her wrist before letting her go.

"She's gonna be alright, right?" Y/n heard Cal ask the group; she assumed that both Miya and Killian just shrugged since neither responded.

Taking a deep breath, Y/n knocked on the door to the Chief Engineers' Office, The door opened, and a small, frail-looking older woman stood in the doorway.

 "You must be Capitan Sienar. I'm Chief Engineer Kesta; Kylo Ren was just telling me the details of your temporary assignment-" The woman was still talking, but Y/n had zoned her out as she stared at the large frame of Kylo Ren; he stared out the transparasteel window that looked over the hangar.How had I not realized his presence before? Why was he here? He never said he'd be here, too; what in the world is happening?- Her panicked thoughts were cut short when Kesta waved her hand in front of her face.

"Hello? Captain? Are you listening?"

"Hm..? Oh, Yes, sorry. Long day" Y/n said with an apologetic smile.

 "Yes...I understand; why don't you come in and give me your report so you can clock out as soon as possible." The older woman held out her arm as she welcomed Y/n into the room. "You can take a seat if you'd like," She offered, but Y/n shook her head, doing her best to ignore the gaze she could feel drilling into the back of her skull.

 "I'd prefer to stand." She said softly; the woman nodded, and Y/n began her report.

Halfway through, she was interrupted by the voice that always sent a shiver down her spine.

"Why are you so curious about this TIE model?" The voice asked; it was closer than she thought it'd be, and in her surprise, she spun around quickly, only to be met with Kylo Ren mere inches away. If she wasn't scared before, she definitely was now.

She swallowed harshly before she answered,

"L-Like I said before, Sir. I was only able to test fly one, and years before, when I worked closely with my father; he used to let me study the new Model TIE. This is currently the only Model I haven't studied." She kept her explanation as short as possible.

"Your Father had to pull a lot of strings to get you this opportunity. What make's you think you deserve it?" He asked; Y/n was practically screaming to leave. This interrogation was becoming a bit much for her liking.

"Because I'm a good engineer, Sir. And I'm also a Pilot. If I can possibly help the first order in making more advanced starfighters in the future, I'd like to do my part." a false sense of confidence flowed through her as she spoke, hoping to mask any anxiety that was trying to seep through her voice.

"Tomorrow, you will show me how to reprogram the flight computer."

"Yes, Sir- Wait...Is something wrong with it? The fight controls were specifically made for you, I assume. Did they mess something up?" Y/n's fear and anxiety were forgotten when her brain started to work out possible scenarios,

"No. I want to see if you can take something apart and put it back together again perfectly as your reputation precedes you." Y/n gawked at him in disbelief. He wanted her to completely erase his specific fight controls and reprogram them to be exactly how it was before. Was he crazy!? She had no idea what his specifications were or how he preferred the distance of the controls. This was a big task with little to no information; He was setting her up to fail.

"With all due respect, Sir. I wouldn't be able to complete that task successfully in an hour."

 A low hum came from the man in front of her. "And why's that?"

Was he stupid? He couldn't be; he was doing this on purpose. He's testing me. She thought. "Because Sir. I have no prior experience with your specific flight controls. I would need at least two hours or maybe even three to become familiar with them, let alone memorize them enough to reprogram them."

 "I see." a tense silence filled the air, Kylo turned away from her and walked back to the window. Y/n looked over her shoulder to see that Kesta was no longer in sight; she must have booked it out of there. Yeah, me too. She admitted, wishing she could do the same.

 "I'll give you the next three days to study my fight controls; on the fifth day, you will reprogram it." He paused as he turned back towards her. "The last two days, you will be free to study the ship as you please without my spectating. But. Only if you reprogram the controls to their original state or there will be consequences. Do you understand?" His voice roared deeply in that dull distorted tone it always had. But somehow, this time was different. It sparked something warm and unfamiliar deep in the pit of her stomach. Was it terror?

Holy Shit. He's actually crazy.

There were a million different possibilities; a lot of programming and engineering goes into customizing flight controls. In the past, all...Or most TIE Starfighters were programmed the same way, so you only really needed to learn how to fly one to fly any version. But the TIE Silencer was customized to its test pilots' specific comfortability with the controls. Y/n's was even programmed when she test flown it. And she's only got three hours in three days.

She inhaled sharply, anxiety striking her like a sword. She dug her nails into her palms as she shut her eyes quickly. This might not seem like much to most people, but to Y/n, it was one of the worst things that could happen in her career. Was studying this dang ship that important? Could she back out now?

"Capitan." the low distorted voice echoed in the room, and Y/n looked up at him. Her eyes were glossed over, and her shoulders were tense. She knew the consequences of what would happen if she somehow failed this assignment; it had all been too good to be true.

"Y-yes, Sir. I understand." Her fists were shaking as she mustered the strength to keep herself calm.

"Good. You are dismissed." Once those words left him, y/n had turned around and went as calmly as possible before rushing back to her room.

Y/n's room was connected to the S.F.'s Lounge, so when she walked in, Miya, Cal, and Killian had all been relaxing from the end of their shifts. Cal and Maya were playing a card game, and Ian was going over field reports on the couch.

"Hey, She's back," Cal said when he noticed the door open, his tone cheerful.

"Oh good, I was getting worried," Miya spoke, standing up to walk over to Y/n.

"No, you weren't," Killian mumbled under his breath; as Miya got closer, Y/n took a step back.

"Hey, Are you alright? Did something happen?" Concern laced her voice which caught the attention of the men.

"N-No. I'm fine, Miya. Just tired. I'd really like to head to bed." she tried stepping around her, but Cal stepped in front of her blocking her path.

"You're not fine. You look like someone just told you your pet died or something." Y/n shook her head at his response.

"It's about Kylo Ren. No one makes her anxious like he does." Killian spoke up from his spot on the couch.

 "Come on, Talk to us like you always do. You always have something to say." Cal tried to encourage her, but she shook her head. She was close to crying when he tilted his head to look into her eyes. That had never happened before; she's always been so strong. This threw him off, guard.

 "Did he hurt you?" Cal asked quickly. Miya looked at him like his head had grown ten sizes.

"Why'd you ask that, Cal?" She asked. Y/n bit her lip as she looked at Cal, begging him with her eyes not to say anything, but he didn't get it.

 "She looks like she's about to cry..." he said softly, looking up at Miya.

 "Y/n/n, What happened? I swear if he put his hands on you-" The taller woman threatened

"No. Guys. It's fine. This assignment just turns out to be my guillotine, and Kylo Ren is my executioner." She spoke softly; the small group looked at her, both confused and concerned.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ian asked. Y/n sighed and walked over to the couch, plopping down on it and allowing it to take away her stress.

"Kylo Ren has decided to test my intelligence on TIE Fighters."

"Okay?" Miya asked as she pulled a chair from a nearby table, and Cal leaned against the wall.

"You know how TIE Silencers were all programmed to their specific Pilots?" The group nodded, allowing her to continue.

 "Well. He wants me to memorize his specific flight controls, erase them, and reprogram them perfectly to the last detail. I only have three days, which- before you ask, yes. That's technically only three hours. The day after, I will have to reprogram it. If I do it correctly, he will allow me to study the TIE without his spectating for the last two days." Y/n heaved a heavy sigh, relaxing on the couch.

 "What are you so worried about?" Ian asked, turning his head to look at her

 "Yeah, I mean, come on, Y/n. You're probably the only person, minus your father, who knows the most about TIE Fighters. This should be a breeze for you." Cal spoke, pushing himself off the wall and sitting on the floor in front of her.

"I had maybe an hour or less to become familiar with my own specified flight controls, which was one of the most difficult things I've done to date. He expects me to memorize his and then Perfectly replicate it!?" She sat up, fear replaced with irritation and anger. "Do you know what could-Will happen if I manage to get ONE thing wrong!? I'd be killed for sure, Or worse. Fired." She threw her arms up in the air, then crossed them over her chest. "He's absolutely horrible." She hissed out and stood up. "I'm going to bed."

 No one dared to stop her; they knew the weight on her shoulders was heavy; they just wished she wouldn't carry it all on her own.

Stepping into her room, she sighed for the umpteenth time. She walked over to her bathroom mirror. She barely recognized herself; the stress in her eyes was deep, and her shoulders were slumped defeatedly. All this from one day? Ignoring it, she stripped and stepped into the shower, hoping to wash it away.

 As the hot water relaxed her muscles, she recalled how this day had started.

 "Y/n, I'm not sure this is a good idea. I know you've wanted to study this ship, but is it really appropriate to do it on a First Order base?" Her father asked,

"I'm sure it'd be fine; it's not like I'm going to steal it or mess with the controls." She spoke, trying her best to persuade her father.

"Alright. I'll see what I can do. BUT. These people are our best customers. If they say yes, you must obey any rules they may set. You'll be representing not only yourself but also me and my company. Do you understand?" His voice faded out; she could no longer remember the rest of the conversation.

 Too much happened today, she thought as she leaned back against the shower wall.

"Did it count if the rules meant life or death?" She asked herself. After the shower, she changed and lay down on her bed.

She prayed to anyone who was listening that tomorrow would never come.

[thelovelymachinery]

Character favourites

I keep getting tagged by @mysticstarlightduck in these and I loved doing this for Joyce and Darcy. I am here to do this for Christine, the main character for The Imperfection in Perfection and Pandora, the main character of The Queens Blessed Daughter.

Rules: share photos of your OCs' favorite color, season, shoe choice, weapon, food & drink, clothing style, mode of transportation, animal, pastime, and breakfast and if they're an introvert/ambivert/extrovert then change up any one of the five favorite things categories for the next round. BONUS: Add some music/songs that fit their aesthetic (the songs don't have to be their favorite songs, just fit their vibe)!

Christine Ceridis

Favourite colour: Gold

Favourite Season: Summer

Favourite shoes: A pair of gold and mint green heels with little pink flowers

Favourite weapon: Manipulation

Favourite food: She snacks on sunflowers, comes from her bird side

Favourite drink: Blue apple juice

Clothing style: Big gold and emerald gowns

Mode of Transportation: Her wings

Favourite Animal: Her black wolf pup, Darlene

Favourite pastime: Acting

Favourite breakfast: Plain oatmeal with bluerries, peanut butter, and apple slices

Extrovert, ambivert, or introvert: Extrovert

Songs

Saints - Echos

Inferno - Bella Poarch and Sub Urban

Ambrosia Wine - Madds Buckley

Poison Tea - Alisha Liston

Dolls - Bella Poarch

Pandora Creahearth

Favourite colour: Muted purple

Favourite Season: Winter

Favourite shoes: Tanned cowboy boots with little sunflowers

Favourite weapon: Swords

Favourite food: Snickers

Favourite drink: Hot Chocolate

Clothing style: Anything purple but she loves her white and purle dress or her tanned pants and purple jacket with a white dress shirt

Mode of Transportation: Horse back riding

Favourite Animal: Her water horse, Maxine

Favourite pastime: Chess

Favourite breakfast: Waffles and maple syrup

Extrovert, ambivert, or introvert: Introvert

Songs

Pandora - 2WEI and Edda Hayes

Turn The Tide - 2WEI, Edda Hayes, and Kateam

Empire - Beth Crowley

Game of Survival - Ruelle

Sound of War - Tommy Profitt and Gloria Regali

Tagging the taglist -

@an-indecisive-nerd @thecomfywriter @wyked-ao3 @mysticstarlightduck @bookwormclover

@illarian-rambling @leahnardo-da-veggie @bio-blegh

Interact here to be added to the taglist.

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 8.3

Holidays

Airplane Crop Duster Day

American Canoe Association Day

Arbor Day (Niger, South Africa)

Armed Forces Day (Equatorial Guinea)

Big Forehead Day

Capoeirista Day (Brazil)

Clean Your Floors Day

Cloves Syndrome Awareness Day

Columbus Set Sail Day (1492)

803 Day

El Paso Massacre Anniversary Day

Ernie Pyle Day (New Mexico)

Esther Day

Flag Day (Venezuela)

Freedom Day (Equatorial Guinea)

Golpe de La Libertad (Freedom Day; Equatorial Guinea)

Great Expectations Day

International Day of Family Planning

International Friendship Day [Original Date]

International Hangover Day

International Indigenous Rising Day

Ker Puja (Tripura, India)

Klaatu Day

Lake Victoria Discovery Day

Marshmallow Day (French Republic)

National Booba Day

National COVID Survivor Day

National Ernie Pyle Day

National Georgia Day

National Hair Gloss Day

National Heart Transplantation Day (India)

National Michael Day

National Parks Day

National Ping Pong Day (UK)

National Sales & Marketing Collaboration Day

National Senior Pet Day

National Twins Day

NBA Day

New Brunswick Day (Canada)

Panama Canal Day

Pidjiguiti Day (Guinea-Bissau)

Play Day (UK)

Prairie Dawn Day

Regatta Day (Canada)

Royal National Eisteddfod (Wales)

Sealing Wax Day

Simba Day (Tanzania)

Vicki Draves Day

Yazidi Genocide Anniversary Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Cornish Pasty Day

Edible Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Day

Food Day Canada (Canada)

Grab Some Nuts Day

Honey Day (Japan)

Maine Lobster Festival (Rockland, Maine)

National Watermelon Day

Watermelon Sugar Day

Independence & Related Days

Niger (from France, 1960)

San Salvador Day (El Salvador)

West Sprinske (Declared; 2021) [unrecognized]

1st Saturday in August

Campfire Day & Night [1st Saturday]

Caribana (Toronto, Canada) [Begins 1st Saturday]

Festival of Nations (Red Lodge, Montana) [1st Saturday]

Home Fermentation Day [1st Saturday]

International Alopecia Awareness Day [1st Saturday]

International Blues Music Day [1st Saturday]

International Hangover Day [1st Saturday]

International Trading Card Day

Mead Day [1st Saturday]

Mustard Day [1st Saturday]

National Clown Day [1st Saturday]

National Czech Festival (Nebraska) [Starts 1st Saturday]

National Disc Golf Day [1st Saturday]

National Jamaican Patty Day [1st Saturday]

National Mustard Day [1st Saturday]

National Play Outside Day [1st Saturday of Every Month]

National Pro-Life Generation Sidewalk Day [1st Saturday]

National Riddle Day [1st Saturday]

National Summit Day [1st Saturday]

National Sunflower Day [1st Saturday]

National VFR Day [1st Saturday]

National Virginia Diverse Business Networking First Saturday [1st Saturday]

Railway Workers’ Day (Russia) [1st Saturday]

Rush-Bearing Day (Grasmere, England) [1st Saturday]

Sandcastle Day [1st Saturday]

Satyr's Day (Silenus, Greek God of Beer Buddies and Drinking Companions) [1st Saturday of Each Month]

Taxpayer Appreciation Day [1st Saturday]

Weekly Holidays beginning August 3 (1st Week of August)

San Salvador Week (El Salvador) [thru 8.9]

Satchmo Weekend (New Orleans, Louisiana) [thru 8.4]

Festivals Beginning August 3, 2024

Akita Kanto Festival (Akita, Japan) [thru 8.6]

Andorra la Vella Festival (Andorra)

Armageddon Expo (Palmerston North, New Zealand) [thru 8.4]

Bluegrass and Beer Festival (Keystone, Colorado) [thru 8.4]

Butterfly Festival (Pennington, New Jersey)

Cheddar Cheese Festival: Say Cheese! (Adams, New York)

Cherry Festival (Jacksonport, Wisconsin)

Chokecherry Festival (Pequot Lakes, Minnesota)

Corn Roast Festival (Westminster, Maryland)

FreedomFilmFest (Petaling Jaya, Malaysia) [thru 8.15]

Glorious Garlic Festival (Geneva, New York) [thru 8.4]

Grain Harvest (Urbandale, Iowa)

HarvestFest (Elgin, Arizona)

Howard County Fair (West Friendship, Maryland) [thru 8.10]

Italian Family Festa (San Jose, California) [thru 8.4]

Joyce Daze Wild Blackberry Festival (Joyce, Washington)

Leicester Caribbean Carnival (Leicester, United Kingdom)

Livarot Cheese Fair (Livarot-Pays-d’Auge, France) [thru 8.4]

Magic Valley Beer Festival (Twin Falls, Idaho)

Montana Brewers Summer Rendezvous (Helena, Montana)

National Eisteddfod of Wales (Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, United Kingdom.) [thru 8.10]

National Mustard Day & Festival (Middleton, Wisconsin)

Peach Festival (New Hope, Pennsylvania) [thru 8.4]

Peach Festival (Wyoming, Delaware)

Route 66 Chili Cook Off and AZ State Chili Championship (Flagstaff, Arizona) [thru 8.4]

Satchmo SummerFest (New Orleans, Louisiana) [thru 8.4]

Siberian International Marathon (Omsk, Russia)

Soul Food Festival (Stockton, California)

Steinley Cup Microbrew Festival & Chili Cook-off (Saratoga, Wyoming)

Taste of the Caribbean (Hartford, Connecticut)

Truckfest (Edinburgh, Scotland) [thru 8.4]

Vino & Notes - A Wine, Food & Jazz Festival (Woodland Park, Colorado)

Whiskies of the World (Washington D.C.)

Feast Days

Aomori Nebuta (Harvest Season begins; Japan)

Chokhor Duchen (Four Noble Truths; Buddhism)

Dawg the Dog (Muppetism)

Day of the Dryads (Pagan)

Dymphna Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Fairy Washing Festival (Shamanism)

Feast of Caligo (Mother of Chaos)

The Feast of the Finding of St. Stephen (Christian)

Gamaliel (Christian; Saint)

George Freeman Bragg, W.E.B. Du Bois (Episcopal Church)

Germanus of Auxerre (Christian; Saint)

Henri Cartier-Bresson (Artology)

Kanto Matsuri begins (4-Day celebration to encourage a good harvest; Akita, Japan)

Leon Uris (Writerism)

Lydia of Thyatira (a.k.a. Lydia Purpuraria; Christian; Saint)

Marlene Dumas (Artology)

Myrrhbearers (Lutheran Church)

Nicodemus (Christian; Saint)

Olaf II of Norway (Christian; Translation of the Relic)

P.D. James (Writerism)

Postmodernism Day (Pastafarian)

Prairie Down (Muppetism)

Stephen (Discovery of his Relics)

Supplica Canum (Ancient Rome)

The Wag-Festival (Remembrance Festival of Ancestors; Ancient Egypt)

Walter Scott (Positivist; Saint)

Waltheof of Melrose (Christian; Saint)

Wilfred (Anglican Church; Yorkshire)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Butsumetsu (仏滅 Japan) [Unlucky all day.]

Premieres

The Bourne Ultimatum (Film; 2007)

Chéri, by Colette (Novel; 1920)

Christopher Robin (Film; 2018)

The Cocoanuts (Film; 1929)

Dick (Film; 1999)

Doing Their Bit (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1942)

Duck Tales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp (Animated Disney Film; 1990)

Eat Drink Man Woman (Film; 1994)

Fear of Music, by Talking Heads (Album; 1979)

Grandview, U.S.A. (Film; 1984)

Gypsy Life (Mighty Mouse Cartoon; 1945)

Hang ‘Em High (Film; 1968)

Havana, by Camila Cabello (Song; 2017)

Hot Rod (Film; 2007)

Hysteria, by Def Leppard (Album; 1987)

Innervisions, by Stevie Wonder (Album; 1973)

The Iron Giant (Animated Film; 1999)

A Man Called Adam (Film; 1966)

The Man Called Flintstone Hanna-Barbera Animated Film; 1966)

Man on the Flying Trapeze (Film; 1935)

Metropolitan (Film; 1990)

Mine, by Taylor Swift (Song; 2010)

Northwest Hounded Police, featuring Droopy (Tex Avery MGM Cartoon; 1946)

The Ox-Bow Incident, by Walter Van Tilburg Clark (Novel; 1940)

Party Smarty (Noveltoons Cartoon; 1951)

The Philadelphia Experiment (Film; 1984)

Poor Cinderella (Betty Boop Cartoon; 1934)

The Princess Diaries (Film; 2001)

Serenade No, 9, the Posthorn Serenade, written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Serenade; 1779)

The Spy Who Dumped Me (Film; 2018)

Surfer Girl, by The Beach Boys (Song; 1963)

Total Recall (Film; 2012)

Trinity, by Leon Uris (Novel; 1976)

Underdog (Film; 2007)

Unidentified Flying Oddball (Film; 1979)

William Tell, by Gioachino Rossini (Opera; 1829)

Today’s Name Days

Benno, Lydia (Austria)

Aspern, Augustin, Lidija (Croatia)

Miluše (Czech Republic)

Nikodemus (Denmark)

Kaljo, Kalju (Estonia)

Linnea, Nea, Neea, Vanamo (Finland)

Lydie (France)

August, Lydia, Nikodemus (Germany)

Olimpios, Salomi (Greece)

Hermina (Hungary)

Giovanni, Lidia (Italy)

Augusts, Rets (Latvia)

Augustė, Lengvinė, Mangirdas, Steponas (Lithuania)

Oline, Oliver, Olve (Norway)

August, Augusta, Krzywosąd, Lidia, Nikodem, Symeon, Szczepan (Poland)

Jerguš (Slovakia)

Gustavo, Lidia (Spain)

Tage (Sweden)

Lida, Liddy, Lidia, Loyal, Lydia, Lyle, Lyman (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 216 of 2024; 150 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 6 of Week 31 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Coll (Hazel) [Day 1 of 28]

Chinese: Month 6 (Xin-Wei), Day 29 (Ji-Hai)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025) [Wu-Chen]

Hebrew: 28 Tammuz 5784

Islamic: 27 Muharram 1446

J Cal: 6 Purple; Sixday [6 of 30]

Julian: 21 July 2024

Moon: 1%: Waning Crescent

Positivist: 19 Dante (8th Month) [Walter Scott]

Runic Half Month: Thorn (Defense) [Day 11 of 15]

Season: Summer (Day 45 of 94)

Week: 1st Week of August

Zodiac: Leo (Day 13 of 31)

Calendar Changes

Coll (Hazel) [Celtic Tree Calendar; Month 8 of 13]

[slashify]

Nancy asks what Robin planted where in the garden space Hop roped off for them and Robin launches into:

“Okay, so Steve hates spinach, but Eddie needs it because he loves Popeye. And then Lucas likes sweet corn, but Max wanted popcorn. And then Dustin wanted cauliflower because his mom makes this casserole…? El asked for tomatoes, which I should have started earlier. And then Erica wants strawberries. And then Will wanted cabbage for that stuffed cabbage thing Joyce makes. And Mike wanted flowers? For some reason? And Steve finally told me he wants sunflowers so I planted them but I think I might be too late! And you don’t even want to know what Jonathan and Argyle wanted me to plant, but I’m sure you can guess, and-.”

Nancy cuts her off with a bop of an empty watering can to her hip and a:

“Just tell me what I can do.”

Robin takes a deep breath. And then another. She furrows her brow, glancing off to the right as she seems deep in thought.

“You can water the Camellia.”

Nancy scoffs.

“That’s all?”

Robin shakes her head as if to clear it.

“Oh my god please help me with this mulch!”